I have a ntuser.dat file sitting in a folder. I want to view it without using regedit. I also don't want to use tool that inserts itself into Windows as a regedit replacement. I simply want to open this file and look at it, using software that understands how to display it in a useful way. Text editors can't do it.

I've been looking around the Internet and most things I look at have some sort of gotcha factor.

Don't have a clue as to a viewer but whenever you find one, I'd suggest copying the file--if you can--perhaps renaming it and then copy it to another computer system before trying to look at it. I may be just being paranoid but, my understanding is that it's a very significant system file and not one to be mucked with even lightly...'-}}

Why do you want to look at it? Take a screen shot of what's in there because I'm really curious...

I didn't think you were--not sure you'd be able to if you wanted to anyway...'-}}

I did a quick browse around and found only using regedit to access the file. I think one problem in trying to find an editor other than regedit is that dat files are made by many programs and they apparently can be any internal format so there isn't going to be one dat editor.

Terrie, you are amazing. You found what nobody else could find. And by "nobody" I mean at least a dozen threads on the same topic scattered around the Internet. So now I was able to view it, and under the Raw Data choice I saw the hive displayed just as it is in regedit, sort of. And in there was the key I was looking for. I don't know if I can use this program to restore that key, but I haven't reached that bridge yet.

andrew: Terrie, you are amazing. You found what nobody else could find. And by "nobody" I mean at least a dozen threads on the same topic scattered around the Internet.

You are most welcome...I'm so glad you were able to look at the file...'-}}

I found that thread about 8-10 pages in on a Google search of "ntuser.dat windows 7 edit" (no quotes). I often just keep clicking on the next page of a search because in the past I've found that when you go beyond the 3rd-4th page you can often find what you are looking for when looking for something no one else seems to be looking for--it's how I found the page that discusses how to get rid of those annoying non-Latin fonts in Win7...

I hope you can get the key you need restored. If you know what's supposed to be in the key, you can just create the key using regedit--I've done that with great trepidation but it worked just fine (thank goodness). Which program did you use?

Well, now I will explain what this is all about. I didn't want to explain before because it could easily take focus away from my singular goal, which was to view this file and nothing more.

I am being helped by a tech in a forum who is walking me through checking my system for deeply embedded malware. This can take days. The agreement is that I do nothing to the system of my computer unless he tells me to. I understand this completely. But I wanted to view the file. And the only way to keep the agreement was take no risk of changing it. The only way to do that was to make a copy and view it on a virtual machine. That way I could not accidentally open my non-virtual registry.

Anyway, I will post more about this later. But at least I got to view the file. Maybe tomorrow I will view the Window 8 virtual machine registry. I heard they abandoned the tree display, and instead use a lot of little tiles you can move around. <bg>